DEEP FOUNDATIONS
Drilled Helical Piles
Spearheading Solutions
Drilled helical pile technology has a long-standing reputation in the northern United States, but it wasn’t until recently that local owners discovered that helical piles are well suited for job sites along the Gulf Coast, allowing for installation within restricted settings. Suitable for nearly any situation and offering more forgiving installation methods, helical piles allow for cleaner installation when compared to auger cast piles and have less of an impact on the surrounding environment. Helical piles are installed by winding or corkscrewing into the ground using a skid-steer loader or excavator, outfitted with a rotary hydraulic powerhead and special drive attachments that connect the pile to the machine.
Made of hollow steel shafts complete with a screw or helix, helical piles are twisted into the ground. Once the pile is in place, another segment is connected to it and stacked on top of it until the appropriate amount of extensions are in place and the designed torque is achieved to ensure proper bearing. It can actually be installed in a matter of minutes!
This system allows for shorter installation time and lower costs compared to conventional drilled shafts as they are corkscrewed into the ground, eliminating harmful vibrations, creating less soil displacement and nullifying the need to transport excess soil from the site.
This saves on transportation costs and reduces the environmental impact of the project.
The helical pile system is incredibly versatile, allowing for installation in nearly any setting or condition. However, they are best suited for time-sensitive projects in hard-to-reach places.